Inauspicious Hearts
by Xuza
Summary: A tale of an Archer named Kruk...and this is a terrible summary, I know...(Previously "More Than What It Seems)
1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:** Yeah, I really should be working on Deadly Nightshade o.; But I've been obsessing over Ragnarok Online for quite a while now and have had plot ideas for it flitting about in my head. Just today it hit me that there is a RO section on this site…I'm THAT cool.  
  
Kruk is actually my avatar, I play her on the ultimaRO server.  
  
Re-Titled. Since "More Than What it Seems" was crudtastic. I worked from something a friend suggested.  
  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own Ragnarok Online, or stuff related to it, but Kruk is my character.  
  
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**Inauspicious Hearts  
Chapter I**

The midday sunlight was golden, it's rays shone through the glass window, illuminating the room. A pile of wood was stacked up in the corner, some of it strewn across the floor. The large oak desk was covered with wood shavings and pierced paper targets. Light hit the metal doorknob, making it glint brightly. The door was ajar, the space lacking an occupant. This, was Kruk's room.  
  
Kruk was a sixteen year old Novice, who had spent the last large chunk of her life in Payon. The surrounding forests, with its lush green foliage and twisting paths, had served as a training ground for the pale-red haired girl. It's Porings and Fabres had fallen with a faint squeak when her little steel knife smacked them upside the head.  
  
And now, after all that time with that annoying, short-handled 'butter knife', she was finally going to begin her journey past the large Payon forest, into the rest of King Tristan III's kingdom. She stood in the Archer Guild, facing the Guildmaster behind his little wooden podium. Kruk had chosen the best wood that she had collected to pass the Archery test, and had it all stashed in her backpack…which weighed her down considerably.  
  
"So, you want to be an Archer…Kruk, was it?" The Guildmaster's dark brown eyes stared intently into her own. He was propped almost lazily on the podium's smooth surface.  
  
The olive-eyed girl nodded. "I've met the requirements…I'm skilled enough, and…" She heaved her bag onto the empty desk space in front of the older man, spilling out a few wooden logs. "…I've got the trunks, collected from the Willows."  
  
Slowly the Guildmaster's eyes went from Kruk's tanned face to the rough timber on his stand. His gloved hands picked up each of the pieces, examining how solid they all were. "Well, well, well…you've brought quite a collection, Kruk. I'm impressed."  
  
"Does this mean I can become an Archer?" Her face broke out into a small, eager grin.  
  
"But of course! I will transform you right away." The Guildmaster waved his hands in a complicated manner, and Kruk was suddenly bathed in a pale blue light.  
  
Her old Novice uniform, with its uncomfortable shirt and petite pink shorts, had transformed into a new outfit. The Archer uniform. Kruk took a moment to examine its blue fabric, and golden armor, before looking back at the man.  
  
"And…here is a bow and one hundred Arrows."  
  
"Thank you so much, sir!" Kruk took the bow and strapped it to her back, the lightweight, metal-headed arrows fit quite nicely into the quiver slung over her waist. She waved with a gloved hand and proudly walked out of the Archer Guild. The Mountain Village Payon, that was its full name, wasn't a large area, and the Guild was actually farther north of it. Foreigners commonly moved in that direction to explore the Payon Caves, dark areas filled with hostile monsters.  
  
What the short girl liked most about the area, was it's architecture. It was considerably unique compared to the rest of the kingdom. It's buildings looked more like temples than anything else. And of course, there was a real temple right in the middle of center square.  
  
Her footsteps were quick on the dirt ground. She had already bid her mother and father a farewell before heading to the Guild. The wood in her room was mostly used in Kruk's sad attempts at forging arrows herself. It was decided that she was better off buying the arrows. Her leather-gloved hand flashed a goodbye to the Guide by the exit to the village, and she set foot into the first area of forest.  
  
A quiet sound emanated from somewhere up ahead. Something rather like dripping water, except it was coming from the direction completely opposite of the river. A few steps towards the sound revealed a fairly small, semi-transparent pink blob. With a face. A Poring. It's tiny black eyes sparkled in the sun as it bounced towards a tree root that was laying on the ground. Before Kruk reached it, it had sucked the item into it's jelly-like depths.  
  
'Well then…I guess it's time to try this weapon out.' Kruk thought, pulling the wooden bow from her back, and taking out an arrow. The bow's thin string stretched as the teen pulled it back with as much strength as she could. Her grip was shaky, the string was too foreign to her, and as she let go of the arrow, it shot out and struck the ground about two feet to the left of the Poring - which just kept on bouncing away. Passerby gave her odd looks out of the corners of their eyes, assuming an Archer could shoot better than that…especially at a Poring.  
  
"I can hit it!" Kruk's eyebrows knitted together as she walked after the pink jelly monster, stretching her bow once more. The passerby had gone, and it was just her, the Poring, and a large Creamy some meters to the right. This time, as her pelt-covered fingers released the wooden shaft of the arrow, it hit. Embedding itself into the squishy side of the Poring. It turned around, facing Kruk with that eerie, ever-smiling face, and slowly bounced towards her.  
  
The girl didn't hesitate, she'd fought these things before. In a second, another arrow was loaded and aimed at the shiny hide of the Poring. Another hit, but it was still alive. It's tiny mouth opened and closed as it leaped at Kruk's stockinged knees, biting as best as it could. But a third arrow was finally enough, and the Poring's jelly-like body burst into a few large chunks. The tree root lay on the ground, as well as a small gray crystal and a bottle filled with a red liquid.  
  
"Excellent, a Jellopy _and_ a Red Potion…" Kruk muttered to herself as she picked up the items and stashed them into the bag around her shoulders.  
  
Soon the forest began to thicken, as the surroundings became less populated with other humans, and more populated with monsters. And of all things, Kruk was running out of arrows. She was down to just ten now.  
  
"Damnit…this is not going to be good at all." She walked over to a tree, plopping down in it's cast shade. Rubbing the wound on her cheek that a Willow had caused, she pulled out her map. The kingdom was designated into 'areas', basically for the purpose of easy navigation. And Kruk was three areas south of Payon. "There should be a lake around here somewhere…" Her olive eyes scanned the surrounding trees. A Fabre twitched away, revealing a gap between the bushes. The sunlight was still strong, and the water it bounced off of glistened through the bushes. "Excellent!"  
  
At once, Kruk shoved the already crumpled map into her bag and sprinted to the water, ignoring the splinters in her left leg. Once she was by the shore, she kicked off her knee-high boots and sunk into the clear blueness of the small lake.  
  
"I. Hate. Willows." She muttered to herself, pulling out the large wood fragments from her calf. There was still time for her to wait for her wounds to heal, so the bow on her back was now in her shoulder bag, and the old 'butter knife' was back in her hand. "And to think I was done with this sad excuse for a weapon…" Small bubbles rose from the water, catching Kruk's eye. Though the water blurred them slightly, deep red leaves were visible, growing from the sandy ground. It was a red plant, which now had the honor of being stabbed at with Kruk's knife. After a few hits, it crumpled, and the short-haired girl picked up the stem and Red Herb that didn't sink into the wet sand.  
  
Slowly, she stretched out her arms, pulling herself out farther onto the shore. The water lapped at her feet, which she had left in the water. Her eyes squinted at the sun, which had as of late been sinking lower, though its light remained strong. Within moments, the faint chirping of birds overhead, and rhythmic bouncing of Porings had lulled her into her usual deep sleep. Not even the nearby slashing of someone's battle with a Creamy woke her up.  
  
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There. Yeah, it was short. But there's certain parts I can't write without knowing stuff about RO that I don't know yet o.;  
  
Plus I feel like drawing.  
  
Hope it's accepted by the general public. 


	2. Chapter II

**Author's Note:** Gotta love how I've like…abandoned my other fic XD; Well no, I haven't. Just dun feel like writing it lately. At all.  
  
**Disclaimer:** Kruk is mine, Athena is friend's (252601), and Ragnarok Online and everything related to it belongs to ragnarokonline.com. Nhneh.  
  
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**Inauspicious Hearts  
Chapter II**

It was nearly night time now, and Kruk was still fast asleep. Her short, pale red hair fluttered over her face, moved by the silent breeze. There were barely any people around her now, as no one really walked around at night, unless they were skilled. The teen had pulled her feet out of the water, and curled them up to herself to fight off the slight chill that was descending on the forest. She was just about to turn onto her back, when a rather large chunk of wood flew into her shoulder blade.  
  
"AGH! Ow! Pain! What was that!?" Kruk whipped into a sitting position, her olive eyes tired and inattentive. Then she caught a little bit of motion to her right. It was a person.  
  
"Oh my…" The girl looked about her age. She had darker skin than Kruk, and her long, very dark brown hair was tied in a thick braid at the back of her head. Her uniform looked familiar to Kruk; she'd seen it in a book before. The honey-eyed girl was making a very obvious job of trying to hide a wooden club behind her back.  
  
Kruk rubbed her back, eyeing the other teen, "What was that all about, huh?"  
  
She looked down, then back at Kruk with a soft expression, "I'm sorry…I was attacking a Willow and...you know how they tend to burst when they're defeated. This one happened to be a tad close to you…"  
  
"Meh…" the Archer stood, noticing that she was just an inch or so taller than the newcomer, "It's alright…it stopped hurting." Quickly she eyed the uniform…it was a simple, pale dress. With many layers on her upper body. Her gloves had wide fabric around her wrists, and Kruk noted that once her club was put back in it's place on her belt, she held her hands together in almost her lap. Then it clicked. "Hey! You're an Acolyte, aren't you?"  
  
The girl stared at Kruk for a second before responding. "Why, yes! I am, actually. And you…are an Archer, correct?" Kruk nodded, and the shorter teen held out her hand, "Athena Caruso of Capital Prontera. Pleased to meet you." She then smiled a gentle, warm smile.  
  
Kruk's eyes dropped to Athena's outstretched hand, and she promptly grasped it, shaking it. "Kruk Vrona of the Mountain Village Payon. Fairly good to meet you too." Thus her mouth moved itself into a sort of half-smile.  
  
"Just fairly good?" Athena tilted her head slightly, still smiling a little.  
  
Kruk let out a quick, bark-like laugh, "Well hey, you did hit me with a chunk of wood."  
  
Athena rubbed the back of her neck, "Guess I did…" Then, her golden brown eyes fell on Kruk's scattered supplies and crumpled map, "So, where are you off to?"  
  
The gold-armored teen turned to follow the other girl's line of sight, and scoffed at herself for leaving such a mess. "Yeah, actually. I was on my way to Port City Alberta…but I got sidetracked and ended up taking a nap."  
  
"Looked more like a deep sleep to me…" Athena giggled to herself.  
  
"What was that?" Kruk's red-rimmed pupils focused on the braided teen's suddenly over-cheerful face.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." One of her gloved fingers was now absentmindedly stroking one of the steel spikes on her Club.  
  
"Well, alright then. Shall we go to Alberta together?"  
  
"Might as well…I wasn't going anywhere in particular anyway."  
  
Kruk swiftly picked up the few items she was carrying, and slung the bag over her shoulder. She quickly glanced at her map, and then proceeded to shove it into her pocket once more. "Let's go then!"  
  
The two females made their way up the slope of the pond. Their forms became dark shadows below the thick foliage and their footsteps were silenced by the lush grass beneath their feet. Their feet carried them east, towards the ocean-side city.  
  
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"That will be nine hundred Zeny," the man that stood in front of Kruk held out a very large batch of Silver Arrows.  
  
The teen grumbled to herself quietly, about the obvious disadvantage of Archers. The cost of arrows. Luckily, she had kept every Jellopy and fluff that fell from the monsters she fought, and managed to raise her funds enough to buy three hundred new, stronger arrows. The money and merchandise exchanged hands, and the red-head looked over at her companion.  
  
"Done?"  
  
"Almost…" A few gold coins fell from the Armor Dealer's hand and into Athena's. After bidding the salesmen a cheery 'Goodnight', they passed through the wooden doorway and out into the moonlit street of night-time Alberta.  
  
"What did you sell that gave you so much Zeny?" Kruk inquired, looking at the coffee-haired girl out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Potions…I mean. I'm an Acolyte. I really have no use for items like that, anymore."  
  
Kruk nodded a response. The two girls walked down the pale cobblestone streets of the fairly large city. The whole civilized area seemed to have a theme of pale blue colors. Golden yellow lights shone from most of the buildings, lighting the path more than the moonlight ever did. Their noses could easily pick up the sharp smell of salt that drifted in from the ocean, and the great wooden ship was anchored at the dock. The places that ship visited…those were definitely not areas for a few inexperienced teenagers to visit.  
  
"Hey, Athena…?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How long have you been an Acolyte, anyway?" The olive-eyed girl questioned, once again eyeing her new cohort.  
  
"Hmm..." At this, the shorter teen directed her vision to the smooth stones that they walked on, obviously calculating passed time. "I'd have to say…at least half a year. Maybe a little less."  
  
Kruk gawked at her, "Wow. That's such a long time…I mean, I only became an Archer yester- today." She looked away, blushing a bit in embarrassment. "So you've been away from home all that time?"  
  
Athena smiled to herself, "No, no…not the whole time. I go back every-so-often. There's still monsters that live close to Prontera that are a challenge for me. Especially since they're the hostile kind…"  
  
"So when you attack one, more could just come along and help their…uhh…comrade…" Kruk shuddered at the thought of being mauled by a swarm of Thief Bugs.  
  
"Unfortunately…" the long-braided teenager lifted her head to stare up at the great white orb that was the moon, "But, that's why I travel around. To find other things to fight, so that I can increase my skill, and figure out new spells…"  
  
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds the distant crying of a child and the ocean waves against the breakwater. A few Novices ran through the street across from them, laughing loudly amongst each other. The Archer stopped staring at a certain stone they were approaching, and faced the Acolyte.  
  
"So, Athena…are you in a Party?" Kruk spoke of groups people would form, linking them all together with a sort of magical energy.  
  
Chuckling lightly, the shorter girl answered, "No, actually. I've been asked before, but the people that did didn't seem all that great, as if they just wanted me for my healing abilities." She directed her pupils at the Payon native, noting that she was biting her lip a tad nervously. "Are you implying that you want to start one with me?"  
  
Kruk nodded.  
  
"…Let's do it!"  
  
"What? Seriously?" Her sea green eyes were wide with surprise.  
  
"Don't see why not. You're a lot nicer than the other people that have asked." Athena grinned.  
  
"Baha! Alright!" Kruk hugged the shorter girl in happiness. "But…what would we be called?"  
  
The braided girl pondered this for a second. "How about…The Midgard Pirates?"  
  
Kruk laughed her yap-like laugh, "Excellent! We are now, The Midgard Pirates!" They high-fived, the sound echoing through the still, nearly-silent streets.  
  
It was just a few minutes later when the two girls realized how tired they were. Athena had traveled all the way from Morocc, and Kruk…was suffering from oxygen shock. They spied the Inn at the end of the cobbled road, its wooden sign swinging lightly in the ocean breeze, the moonlight glinting off of it's gold lettering. They stepped through the doors, hearing the faint sound of music from somewhere deep in the structure. The lobby was practically empty, even the bar had just one occupant. A blonde-haired man, not wearing any recognizable uniform, was sipping a clear red drink, while the bartender stood with his back to the door, polishing a wineglass.  
  
The reception desk caught the girls' attention, and they decided to stick with one room, with twin beds. It would be a waste of money to get two separate accommodations.  
  
"One room, with two twin beds, please." Kruk leaned on the counter, her Silver Arrows lustrous in the lamplight.  
  
The lady behind the counter smiled. "That'll be three hundred Zeny."  
  
"Damnit…" Kruk whispered to herself. She was definitely not that rich after restocking all her arrows. And it ticked her off.  
  
"Here." Athena handed the lady the money, and took the key.  
  
"That's room 25, on the second floor. Thank you, and good night!" The lady waved a gloved hand, and pointed at the staircase.  
  
The girls thanked her and walked off.  
  
"Why'd you pay the money?" Kruk mumbled.  
  
Athena smiled, "Well first of all, I'm staying in the room too. And second of all, I've been out and about for half a year, three hundred Zeny is nothing."  
  
The red-head smiled, and looked at her friend, "Thanks…so much."  
  
"It's no problem. Really."  
  
They climbed the remainder of the wooden staircase fairly quietly. Though, some of the steps did creak when they put their weight on them. The walls of the entire hallway were lined with thin strips of light wood, and the carpet was dyed a deep, rich crimson. They located their room easily enough, it's gold-colored number plate stared them in the face.  
  
The inside of the room was nothing special. There was just the main room, the bedroom, and a small bathroom. The food was served elsewhere. With a sigh of relief, the girls plunked their heavy bags onto the indigo couch, the contents hitting each other lightly. They made their ways to the bedroom, and plopped down on the two beds without bothering to change out of their armor and uniforms. Within minutes they were asleep, filling the room with the sounds of their slow, steady breathing. What a nice thing it was that both of them had forgotten to lock the door behind them when they came in.  
  
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SNARG! There we go. That's about four pages. My early chapters are always short o.; Err…enjoy?  
  
And it's been re-titled. I finally mustered up enough SP (Brain power!) to do so. W00t w00t. 


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